It could have ended there. They could have said it was great to meet you, good luck, and sent her on her way. But they didn't. Instead, they have given Kennedy opportunities that I never could. They have become friends and have introduced us to more new friends. They have and continue to assist her follow her dreams. They have welcomed her with open arms.
I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about scuba diving, other than anyone who does it is quite possibly nuts. And I mean that in the sincerest way. I don't know the terms, I don't know the gear, and I don't know what possesses people, including my daughter, to want to do it. Before all of this, I had no idea that there was a dive community per se, and what that actually means. But I'm learning quickly and to say that I'm impressed with these people would be an understatement (although I still think they are nuts).
Three weeks ago, Kennedy was given the opportunity to visit the Florida springs area and dive in natural springs. Up to that point, she had only been in a pool and lake so this was a big step for her (and me). She was excited but nervous. It was her first dive since October and she was rusty on her training. But she did it and she loved it. She got to explore a cavern with one of the most famous cave divers. She got to dive with her first female instructor. She got to see crystal clear water, play in the spring turbulence, experience duckweed (um, yuck). And she absolutely loved it.
What I loved about it? These amazing people. They invited us down. They made the dive plans. They took the time to dive with Kennedy. They accepted Kennedy for who she was and just made sure she had a great time (and that she was safe!). And this last one is huge to me. Those close to Kennedy sometimes have a hard time understanding the Kennedy they see regularly to the Kennedy who struggles in social situations with new people. Although she has come a looooong way, she is still shy with new people and in new situations. I think some people see this as her being rude or disrespectful sometimes, but I assure you that isn't the case. With all that she goes through, with all the times she has been made fun of or laughed at or pointed at, socializing is not her strong-suit. She has a hard time looking people she doesn't know well in the eye and she sometimes gets tongue-tied and has trouble carrying on conversations in social situations with others besides friends and family. We're working on this but it is a process. The thing is, these amazing people looked past all of that. They went out of their way to make sure she had an amazing experience. I just hope they understand how huge that was, how much it meant to Kennedy. By the end of the trip, Kennedy was opening up to Bre and that touched my heart...I think Kennedy finally felt secure in finding that female diving role model.
For this weekend, we sincerely thank Lamar Hires from Dive Rite and John McCain and Bre Grant from Narked Scuba. And we thank Peter Lapin for his amazing photography of the trip. You all welcomed Kennedy (and us) with open arms.
Last week, Kennedy was provided the opportunity to visit Florida again, this time on the ocean. We spent Friday morning touring SDI and meeting the awesome folks that helped make the trip happen. Saturday morning, Kennedy was joined by many from SDI for a dive under the Blue Heron Bridge, where she got to swim with octopuses, seahorses, starfishes, and many other marine critters. In addition to giving Kennedy a wetsuit to call her own and having us over for dinner, Peter (and Christy) of Stuart Scuba also gave us his dive boat and crew on Sunday to allow Kennedy to dive out in the deep. Joined by Thomas, Jon, and Lauren she didn't meet up with any of her beloved sharks but got to see plenty of other marine life, including grouper that were larger than her. As if she wasn't hooked before, this trip sent her over the edge.
What I loved about it? These amazing people. They spent their weekend watching my girl chase her dreams. They went above and beyond. And again, they accepted her for who she is. And again, I hope they know what this meant to her, how much she loved it. This opportunity opened her eyes to a whole new world, one that she instantly fell in love with. And now that Lauren has entered our life, Kennedy has two female diving role models.
For this weekend, we sincerely thank all of those at SDI including Brian and Stephanie Carney, Sean Harrison, and Jon and Lauren Kieren. We thank Peter Friedman and Christy Campbell of Stuart Scuba. And we thank Peter Lapin for making the trek over to once again capture Kennedy's experience under the water. You all welcomed Kennedy (and us) with open arms.
Our entrance into the dive community/world so far has been more than I could have ever imagined. The people have been amazing, their generosity has been amazing, their friendship is going to be amazing. Not only did they spend these weekends with us, but they all sincerely invited us back. And we plan to take them up on that. Everyone literally welcomed us with open arms.
For all of this, we sincerely thank Thomas Powell, Josh Norris, Ray Wickham, and all the others at Air Hogs Scuba.
